I’ve probably mentioned it before but the City of Sparks has a code in place that makes it illegal to work on your own car on your own property.

You can change fluids and brake components but not swap carburetors, engines or axles.

Well, I needed to break the rules…

You see, I locked up the rear diff three months ago and the Jeep’s been parked in front of my house that whole time. My neighbors love me so it didn’t get ticketed.

Rather than just doing the diff work, I decided to swap springs and axle all together.

In less than three hours, I had the old axle/spring combo out and the in unit installed. Okay, it doesn’t have brakes and the spring perches are not welded to the axles. But everything was tight enough for me to back it in to the driveway.

Coming up in a few weeks is the Lockett Motorsports Expo. At the same time as the Boat Show, Pet Show and Home Show will be going on in the same building.

I will again have a booth to promote OHV on and around the Rubicon Trail. The Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo’s will be sharing the booth with me in order to promote their (our) club and our upcoming Gambler’s Poker Run in August.

This year I hope to have a TV, DVD player and laptop so we can show Rubicon videos and pull up TheOtherRubicon.com and the Hi-Lo’s website live.

Last year Jeepers Jamboree had an RC course set up for the kids. Yes, for the KIDS! They use it to teach proper trail etiquette and to Tread Lightly!

All the local 4wd clubs turn out and put their rigs on display.

We’re hoping to find room to put the Rubicon Trail Foundation’s work trailer on display as well. Here it is in action dropping the new granite mile marker at the intersection of the Rubicon Trail and Forest Road 03-04.

Recently,
the four foot plus berm was removed from the entrance to the Rubicon. Let’s
ignore the fact that most of that snow was dumped there illegally. Was it right
to remove the ‘gatekeeper’ to allow easy access for those not prepared/equipped
to go snow wheeling?

Over
the years, some have commented that ‘gatekeepers’ keeps the unprepared out and
that only well-built rigs will proceed. This has been said over many trails and
conditions. Others say there should be unfiltered access to our OHV opportunities.

Personally,
I think a ramped increase in difficulty is the best way to go. The newbie needs
to be able to get out there a little bit to get a taste of what wheeling is all
about. They should only go as far as is safe or their rig and driving ability is
able, but they sometimes go a little too far. It’s up to those of us with more
experience to educate those newer to the sport with what it takes to go out in
those conditions.

Once,
we were that beginner. I remember driving my 1947 CJ2A, completely stock up the
Rubicon. I got as far as the Potato Patch and I said “nope”, and turned around to
go home and build a better rig. But if every trail were like Barrett, every
wheeler would have to build quite a rig to go wheeling for the very first time.

Getting
specific about snow wheeling on the Tahoe side, what better place to start? Early
in the season, there is minimal snow and the trail is over asphalt for the
first 1.5 miles. Even with more snowfall, it’s near a residential area (and
help), there are plenty of trees to winch from (unlike the Bowl on the Eldorado
side). It’s a gentle grade offering a slowly increasing challenge for newbies and
honestly, it’s the only legal snow wheeling for ‘wheeled’ vehicles I know of in
the Lake Tahoe area. There is a decent grade further in with turns for more of
a challenge. If they do make the staging area, the newbies aren’t going much
further as the climb out of the staging area to the entrance to the Buck Lake
Trail is an honest gatekeeper in the snow. And the entire area is covered by a
ham radio repeater system.

Sure,
the newbies might get stuck and we (meaning those of you who snow wheel) might
have to go around them (without going off trail) or help them get unstuck. I’d
love to educate everyone who goes out on any OHV trail as to what they should
take every time they go out. That’s one reason I built this website.

Back
to the berm; the berm itself will only stop the less driven. A beginner with huge
motivation to get on the Rubicon will take down the berm and drive in. On the
other hand, a group with well-built rigs might get to the trailhead, see the
berm and decide they don’t want to work that hard for a day on snow wheeling.

It’s a topic that will be discussed forever. Both sides have good points. Let’s just get out there and enjoy our public lands.

“This is the Trail. Tahoma, CA. I work here…I’m a volunteer. The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changes to protect the innocent.

On January 27th, me, Wheeler “A” and Wheeler “B”, arrived at the entrance to the Rubicon Trail. Wheeler “A” had brought a piece of commercial snow removal equipment. The objective: Remove The Berm.

The berm was about 4-5 feet tall when we got there.

The berm had gone up over the course of the winter season. It’s appeared every season for years. Dumping snow anywhere but from the lot it came from is illegal. The berm is illegal.

We thought Placer was doing it. I’d heard several second hand accounts from witnesses who saw Placer dump and pushing snow at the trailhead. Nothing first hand.

Placer denies dump or pushing snow at the entrance. We’re now thinking it’s a local snow removal contractor. We don’t need to catch him and charge him, we just want the dumping to stop. But if it doesn’t stop, we will catch him and get the county to fine him.

It was time to take action in to our own hands.

Wheeler “A” unloaded his rig and got to work. I stood on the berm, off to the side, and made sure anyone coming off the trail didn’t get a snow shower. Wheeler “B” stood in the street and talked with anyone walking by.

Wheeler “B” approached one neighbor who came out and took pictures but she ignored him and went back inside. Later, a Placer County sheriff stopped by after a complaint had been filed by someone in the area.

The sheriff had no issue about what we were doing after we explained that Placer County had given us permission to clear the entrance.

It didn’t take long before Wheeler “A” had cleared the entrance to the Rubicon Trail. We figured three hours, including travel time.

Not five minutes after heading to our rigs to leave, a stock Toyota Tacoma and F150 pulled up to the entrance. It was in 2wd and didn’t make the small rolling dip left at the entrance.

That gave me time to walk up and talk to him. I encouraged him not to try the trail without a winch and a better equipped rig. He said he wouldn’t go too far. I gave him two of my trail brochures with a map and wished him well. He put it in 4wd and headed in.

Please remember that there is no street parking this time of year.

Happy wheeling.

‘

Rubicon Ronin

For those of you too young to catch the wording of the intro, it’s from Dragnet, an old cop show from the 60’s. You Tube the opening scene for every show.